The TV Rating Policy 2026 looks to address long-standing criticisms of the current rating ecosystem, potentially rewriting the broadcasting industry’s promotional strategies. It will force broadcasters to focus on content rather than marketing, writes Alokananda Chakraborty
Why a new TV Rating Policy?
The TV Rating Policy 2026, notified by the government on March 27 to replace the 2014 framework, aims to improve credibility, transparency, and accuracy in audience measurement. It mandates a major expansion of the audience sample size, exclusion of landing page data in the rating mechanism, inclusion of OTT and connected TV data, and lowering of the entry barrier for new agencies.
Under the new system, all rating agencies are required to publish detailed methodology and anonymised data on their websites. However, TV distribution or OTT platforms have been allowed to publish periodic viewership data of broadcasters or channels being played on them or their websites, without obtaining registration or permission.
All this is aimed to replace the previous, mostly self-regulated, single-agency (Broadcast Audience Research Council or BARC) ratings ecosystem with a more transparent, tech-driven approach, say experts.
“The policy defines clear standards for the registration, operation, audit, and oversight of agencies providing TV rating services, with the aim of ensuring transparency, independence, and accountability in audience measurement”, says the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB).
Encouraging competition, forcing accountability
To encourage new players the government has lowered the barrier to entry into the measurement business. The minimum net worth for rating agencies is reduced to 5 crore, down from20 crore, encouraging competition. New applicants are required to furnish two separate bank guarantees of 25 lakh and75 lakh before registration. These bank guarantees are valid for 10 years, ensuring compliance with the guidelines.
The MIB has introduced graded penalties, including up to Rs 75 lakh for repeat violations, and potential cancellation of registration to ensure accountability. According to reports, a ministry-level audit and oversight team will be put in place, with provisions for inspecting agencies without prior notice.
Scope of the new system
The new system covers linear TV, connected TV, cable, DTH, and OTT platforms to ensure all viewing screens in households are measured. The framework now emphasises tighter compliance requirements, increased panel transparency, and the potential for multiple data collection agencies to improve credibility.
Rating agencies under the new system must reach 80,000 metered homes (as opposed to 63,000 currently) within 18 months, eventually targeting 120,000 to increase accuracy. The current rating agency, BARC, needs to comply with the new rules within six months.
The new system lays down strict rules of governance and conflict mitigation. In order to ensure neutrality, it provides that at least 50% of the board of directors must be independent directors with no ties to broadcasters, advertisers, or advertising agencies. To prevent conflicts of interest, board members are also prevented from taking up consultancies.
To ensure transparency and data privacy, rating agencies are required to follow the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, publish their methodologies, and submit to a dual-audit system (internally every quarter and an annual external audit).
That apart, viewership generated by landing pages will not be counted in the final ratings. Agencies must appoint a nodal officer to resolve complaints within 10 days and establish an appellate authority for escalated disputes.
Checks against data manipulation
The policy bars the inclusion of viewership generated through landing pages, something many brands use to beef up ratings. Landing pages enable a specific channel to appear first when a TV is turned on. Critics argue this amounts to paid exposure rather than earned viewership, artificially boosting TV rating points and inflating advertising revenues.
Under the new rules, the landing page can be used as a marketing tool only and broadcasters are required to disclose such placements to the rating agency, thus addressing a key lacuna in the current system.
What happens to current system?
To comply with the new rules, BARC must reapply for registration within 30 days of the March 27, 2026, notification, indicating the deadline would be around late April. It has a six-month timeline to reach the 80,000 metered homes’ target by September 2026.
Following the notification, BARC has paused rating releases to complete the required re-registration process. It must comply with all other norms before it can resume publishing ratings. BARC has said it is working to enhance the integrity of its ratings via technology-neutral measures, ensuring that ratings reflect “deliberate consumption”.